Glossary of Printing & Technical Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

S

Saddle stitch:

A binding process in which a pamphlet or booklet is stapled through the middle fold of its sheets using metal wires.

Saturation:

The attribute of colour perception that expresses the amount of departure from neutral grey of the same lightness.

Scanning:

The process of converting a hard copy into digital data ready for editing and design.

Screen angle:

The dots making up each colour are set at different angles to avoid creating a moiré pattern. Angles used commonly are 90' for yellow, 105' for cyan, 75' for magenta and 45' for black.

Score:

A pressed mark in a sheet of paper or card to make folding cleaner and easier.

Scum:

In litho printing this is ink that can adhere to the non-image area of the plate.

Section:

A folded sheet of paper which will make up part of a book or booklet. Books are usually printed in 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 page sections.

Self-cover:

The paper used inside a booklet is the same as that used for the cover.

Set-off:

When ink from a printed sheet marks the underside of the sheet above it.

Sheetwork:

Printing on one side of a sheet from one plate or set of plates and printing on reverse with another plate.

Show through:

Printing showing through from the other side of a printed page, due to low opacity.

Silk paper:

A smooth semi-gloss coated paper with a distinctive silky feel.

Slug:

A complete line of type cast in one piece.

Slur:

An undesirable printing condition where the printed image is smeared. Slur can result from insufficient blanket pressure, slippage of a press or lack of ink tack.

Solid:

An area on the page which is completely covered by the ink.

Spot colour:

A colour that is printed from a premixed ink, usually defined by a Pantone number.

Spread:

Two or more adjoining pages that would appear in view on sheet.

Step-up:

A term used to describe the positioning of documents several times onto the same sheet of paper to avoid paper wastage. Also known as imposition.

Stock:

A term for the material any project is printed onto. Also known as substrate.

Strike through:

Marks on the back of a sheet caused by ink soaking through.